SIX young Halesowen ballerinas have been selected from more than 300 hopefuls to appear in a new production of Swan Lake at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre next month.

The dancers, aged from 10 to 17, will perform with professional ballet company the English Youth Ballet alongside internationally acclaimed principals, in what is described as an “electrifying new adaptation” of the most technical and dramatically challenging of all the classic ballets.

Ten-year-olds Grace Willetts and Eleanor Weaver, Sophie Tierney, aged 14, and Charlotte Pawelczyk, aged 17 train at the Timmins Academy of Dance in Halesowen, Grace, a pupil at Our Lady and St Kenelm RC Primary School, Romsley , and Eleanor Weaver, from Lapal Primary , both live in Halesowen and have been cast as the Tsar’s courtiers. while Hagley RC High School students Sophie, from Lapal , and Charlotte, from Quinton , are swans.

Haybridge High School student Maggie Rose, aged 17, from Romsley, is a Maryinsky soloist and trains at Richardz Dance, Birmingham, and Halesowen’s Chloe Howarth, aged 12, from Earls High School, who trains at the Siobhan Collins McCarthy Dance Academy, Harborne, is a Maryinsky dancer.

Company manager Ben Garner said: “Working with English Youth Ballet will be one of the highlights of these talented young dancers’ careers to date.

“The audiences watching EYB are in for a unique and exciting experience too. They will be seeing both top international principal artists and the best up-and-coming young talent from their region – sharing the stage.”

The ballet can be seen on Friday and Saturday September 21 and 22 at 7.30pm with a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.